How do use Slaadi?
- Thread starter Olive
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demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
The slaadi could be utterly capricious, fighting one moment and parleying the next. Or, as in my campaign, they just like to fight, attacking viciously for a few rounds before backing off and retreating if the opponent is notably stronger. Since slaadi heal easily, they use these random battles to establish their territory in Limbo. But since other creatures don't heal as easily, they tend to kill their potential competitors without meaning to.
Since the slaad's life cycles are reliant on violence, most slaadi are self-serving and paranoid, making sure that their battles are for territory only and that they aren't turned into breeding shells for red slaad eggs. This makes them seem more evil than not to humanoids.
In addition, the slaadi are also caught up in a war of attrition with the githzerai. Both the lawful gith race and the chaotic slaadi view each other as a threat to their existance, so slaadi are likely to attack humanoids if they feel the least bit threatened.
Also, most slaadi view structures as an affront, as permanency of any kind is so scarce on Limbo. Thus, they tend to destroy objects without some use of destruction (like weaponry- most slaadi shun armor).
Just my two cents.
Demiurge out.
Since the slaad's life cycles are reliant on violence, most slaadi are self-serving and paranoid, making sure that their battles are for territory only and that they aren't turned into breeding shells for red slaad eggs. This makes them seem more evil than not to humanoids.
In addition, the slaadi are also caught up in a war of attrition with the githzerai. Both the lawful gith race and the chaotic slaadi view each other as a threat to their existance, so slaadi are likely to attack humanoids if they feel the least bit threatened.
Also, most slaadi view structures as an affront, as permanency of any kind is so scarce on Limbo. Thus, they tend to destroy objects without some use of destruction (like weaponry- most slaadi shun armor).
Just my two cents.
Demiurge out.
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
Olive said:
Thank you. Due to my campaign and starting the Slaad-a-palooza thread, I've thought about those giant chaos toads way more than any sane man should...
Demiurge out.
Uses for slaad. Get a dimwitted princess to kiss one?
The main deal with using slaad throughout a whole campaign is that they have a narrower range of strengths than demons/devils. A party won't be all that troubled by a red (unless it eggs someone) and they can handle a grey or even death slaad and still have a lot of adventuring ahead. But here's an approach.
It takes two centuries for a green to mature to a death slaad. That's a long time in human lifespans. It could be that a nasty armada type with bunch of greens was defeated, but left a present behind. The slaad spent those ages nurturing their anger (becoming CE as they go) and then resurface insidiously later, functioning something like a time bomb.
Alternatively, if there's a long-lived significant NPC on tap, perhaps an elf, the slaad they bested so long ago has come back for revenge. Now the NPC in question is frail, or could be caught completely by surprise, by a vastly more powerful enemy.
Perhaps the best use for one is as a keyholder. It alone knows the one special secret or location the PCs need - but how to treat with a creature that's wily, utterly unpredictable, and more than a bit dangerous? Somebody could end up croaked.
The main deal with using slaad throughout a whole campaign is that they have a narrower range of strengths than demons/devils. A party won't be all that troubled by a red (unless it eggs someone) and they can handle a grey or even death slaad and still have a lot of adventuring ahead. But here's an approach.
It takes two centuries for a green to mature to a death slaad. That's a long time in human lifespans. It could be that a nasty armada type with bunch of greens was defeated, but left a present behind. The slaad spent those ages nurturing their anger (becoming CE as they go) and then resurface insidiously later, functioning something like a time bomb.
Alternatively, if there's a long-lived significant NPC on tap, perhaps an elf, the slaad they bested so long ago has come back for revenge. Now the NPC in question is frail, or could be caught completely by surprise, by a vastly more powerful enemy.
Perhaps the best use for one is as a keyholder. It alone knows the one special secret or location the PCs need - but how to treat with a creature that's wily, utterly unpredictable, and more than a bit dangerous? Somebody could end up croaked.
AFGNCAAP
First Post
I don't do much Outer Planes stuff, but I think slaads are a nice variant for a summoned extraplanar foe--something that a spellcasting foe would summon up & have fight the PCs.
Slaads, along with yugoloths/daemons and demodands, are some favorites of mine because they don't seem to really get used often--in fact, sometimes they aren't instantly recognizable to the PCs off the bat (which adds to the fear & tension).
Death slaads are a personal favorite of mine, since they can be CE instead of CN. One old (2nd ed. AD&D) campaign of mine had a CE death slaad called Virvir (who disguised himself as a weird humanoid--think of a cross between the Joker & Two-Face) who raised hell for the PCs, just for laughs. I think I'll have old Virvir (or another CE death slaad lie him) harass the PCs down the line.
Slaads, along with yugoloths/daemons and demodands, are some favorites of mine because they don't seem to really get used often--in fact, sometimes they aren't instantly recognizable to the PCs off the bat (which adds to the fear & tension).
Death slaads are a personal favorite of mine, since they can be CE instead of CN. One old (2nd ed. AD&D) campaign of mine had a CE death slaad called Virvir (who disguised himself as a weird humanoid--think of a cross between the Joker & Two-Face) who raised hell for the PCs, just for laughs. I think I'll have old Virvir (or another CE death slaad lie him) harass the PCs down the line.
